Terra Venture Partners, which focuses on impact investments and digital transformation, recently invested in three Israeli startup companies: Saccade Vision, Daika and SparX. All three companies recently began operating under the umbrella of the TerraLab incubator. The overall investment amount is about 3 million USD (about a million USD in each company), in collaboration with the Israel Innovation Authority.
Astorre Modena, Managing Partner at Terra Venture Partners said that “at this challenging time, when seed investments experienced a significant decrease on a global scale, it is more important than ever to support early stage startup companies. We at Terra continue to invest in top Israeli entrepreneurs despite the situation”.
Saccade Vision was founded in 2019 by Alex Shulman, who also serves as Saccade’s CEO, Yvgeni Levine, CTO and Ran Sagi, VP Product. Saccade Vision develops a 3D-vision (smart camera and software) for industrial applications, focusing on guidance of industrial robots, high accuracy detection of defects and 3D rapid and accurate measurement. Saccade Vision’s unique technology, which simulates the function of the human eye, will enable highly accelerated implementation of machine vision in industrial lines, without the need for involvement of image processing experts on behalf of the client, and obtaining maximum measurement accuracy and reliability.
Daika Wood develops a 100% natural, wood-based raw material, that will enable industrial digital production of natural wood products, without design restrictions, using the standard, common practice industrial methods for other materials (such as plastic). Each year, about 3 billion tons of wood scrap is accumulated around the world, with only 10% of it being recycled. Daika’s unique material will preserve the natural properties of wood (including appearance and feel) is completely biodegradable and enables the production of products with natural and unique properties (such as consumer products currently produced of plastic, through furniture and construction products). The initial technology was developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem by Dr. Michael Layani, currently serving as the company’s CEO, Prof. Shlomo Magdassi and Prof. Oded Shosayov – who are some of the leading researchers in this field on a global scale.
SparX was founded this year by Dan Lowenntal, formerly the Director of Marketing at Electra Residence. Sparx develops an innovation solution, based on ground-breaking AR/VR and AI technologies for the real estate industry. The technology aims to reduce the timeline and streamline marketing and sales processes of residential apartments.
“Terra continues to actively invest in seed stage opportunities this year, despite the coronavirus pandemic. We invite Israeli entrepreneurs who want to make a positive impact on the world to approach us. We search for investments which are in synergy with global market trends particularly during these times: digitalization of traditional industries, healthcare and environmental protection. We aim to invest in companies with high business feasibility and positive social and environmental impact over large populations on a global outlook. The Fund currently manages more than 30 portfolio companies, part of which operate from our Yokneam incubator, where we provide them extensive professional support during their early stages”.
Terra Venture Partners was founded in 2007 by Dr. Astorre Modena and Dr. Harold Wiener. The Fund focuses on Impact related investments – Smart Cities, Water, Energy, Health, Transportation, Cleantech and Sustainability, IoT and Big Data. The Fund manages more than 80 million USD and invests in companies from the Seed up to the Growth stages. The Fund’s portfolio currently consists of more than 30 companies in various stages.
The Fund operates an incubator in Yokneam, that supports early stage companies, and assists the founders during the initial stages of building up the companies, in addition to the financial investment.